Honolulu, USA - With only three dissenting votes, the Hawaiian state Senate passed a resolution that establishes September 24 as Islam Day. Two opponents of the bill felt the United States has been too tolerant of radical Islam, and the other opponent was concerned about the separation of church and state. However, Senator Will Espero explained the majority view as follows:
"We are a state of tolerance. We understand that people have different beliefs. We may not all agree on every single item and issue out there, but to say and highlight the negativity of the Islamic people is an insult to the majority [of believers] who are good law-abiding citizens of the world."
This news broke around the same time that 14 Republicans introduced a bill that would establish the year 2010 as “The Year of the Bible” in the United States. This was not the first proposal for this kind of bill; Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation declaring 1983 to be the Year of the Bible, so the new bill has a precedent.
The new bill also asks President Obama:
...to issue a proclamation calling upon citizens of all faiths to rediscover and apply the priceless, timeless message of the Holy Scripture which has profoundly influenced and shaped the United States and its great democratic form of Government, as well as its rich spiritual heritage, and which has unified, healed, and strengthened its people for over 200 years.
I think the above paragraph is perhaps the most striking part of these recent stories. It seems to be asking American Buddhists, Hindus, Indigenous peoples, Jews, Muslims, New Age believers, Pagans, Taoists, and people unaffiliated with any religion to join Christians in incorporating Teachings from the Bible into their lives throughout the year 2010. In contrast, Hawaii's Islam Day does not ask any Hawaiians to apply the Teachings from the Qur’an/Koran into their lives for even one day.
Polling results about American beliefs pretty clearly show that Americans in the 21st century have many different religious beliefs. I think by definition, that means the United States in the 21st century is now a multifaith country. Are we as a nation adjusting and responding to the rapidly changing demographics of America?